2021 Turkish Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Istanbul Park hosted a damp and demanding 2021 Turkish Grand Prix, with the circuit never drying enough for a straightforward switch to slick tyres. Valtteri Bottas mastered the conditions to take his first victory of the season, while Max Verstappen reclaimed the championship lead and Lewis Hamilton worked back from a grid penalty.

Race Guide

Season: 2021 F1 World Championship
Race date: 10 October 2021
Race start time: 15:00 local time (UTC+03:00)
Circuit: Istanbul Park
Laps: 58 laps
Circuit length: 5.338 km
2020 winner: Lewis Hamilton

Pole position
Driver	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes
Time	1:22.998 (Hamilton served a grid penalty)
Fastest lap
Driver	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes
Time	1:30.432 on lap 58
Podium
First	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes
Second	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing
Third	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
8 October 2021	Practice 1	11:30 – 12:30
8 October 2021	Practice 2	15:00 – 16:00
9 October 2021	Practice 3	12:00 – 13:00
9 October 2021	Qualifying	15:00 – 16:00
10 October 2021	Race	15:00

All times are local (UTC+03:00). The race time is the scheduled start.

Championship background

Hamilton arrived two points ahead after his landmark win in Russia, but an engine change would put him ten places further back on the grid than his qualifying result. Turkey had again joined the calendar as a replacement event, and the prospect of another wet race at Istanbul Park added uncertainty to an already close championship fight.

Race entries

The regular 20 drivers took part, with no substitutes in practice or the race. Hamilton, Carlos Sainz and Daniel Ricciardo all faced grid penalties for power-unit changes, reshaping the starting order.

Free Practice

Lewis Hamilton topped FP1 with a 1:24.178, ahead of Max Verstappen (+0.425s) and Charles Leclerc. Hamilton set the fastest time in FP1, ahead of Verstappen and Leclerc, as the drivers found more grip than at the previous year’s event.

Lewis Hamilton topped FP2 with a 1:23.804, ahead of Charles Leclerc (+0.166s) and Valtteri Bottas. Hamilton remained quickest in the second session, with Leclerc close behind and Bottas third.

Pierre Gasly topped FP3 with a 1:30.447, ahead of Max Verstappen (+0.164s) and Sergio Perez. Wet conditions changed the picture in FP3. Gasly led the two Red Bull Racing cars, while Russell’s excursion into the gravel interrupted the session.

Free Practice 1 Classification

2021 Turkish Grand Prix FP1, 8 October 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:24.178	26
2	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.425s	24
3	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.476s	27
4	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	+0.664s	28
5	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	+0.682s	25
6	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	+0.731s	30
7	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.169s	26
8	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+1.204s	30
9	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	+1.205s	26
10	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	+1.281s	24
11	63	George Russell	Williams	+1.507s	25
12	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	+1.572s	26
13	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	+1.632s	26
14	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.635s	24
15	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+1.685s	28
16	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.755s	24
17	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+2.183s	29
18	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	+2.246s	28
19	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	+2.458s	25
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	+2.841s	28

Free Practice 2 Classification

2021 Turkish Grand Prix FP2, 8 October 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:23.804	30
2	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.166s	29
3	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	+0.410s	31
4	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	+0.569s	28
5	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.635s	27
6	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.721s	24
7	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	+0.856s	21
8	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	+0.868s	26
9	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	+0.952s	32
10	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+0.992s	29
11	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	+1.078s	30
12	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	+1.099s	34
13	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+1.216s	31
14	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	+1.256s	23
15	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.339s	27
16	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	+1.425s	30
17	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+1.503s	30
18	63	George Russell	Williams	+1.554s	29
19	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	+1.676s	26
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	+1.894s	25

Free Practice 3 Classification

2021 Turkish Grand Prix FP3, 9 October 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	1:30.447	19
2	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.164s	11
3	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	+0.237s	13
4	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	+0.815s	22
5	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+1.096s	18
6	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	+1.098s	15
7	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.125s	17
8	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	+1.534s	21
9	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	+1.549s	8
10	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	+1.642s	17
11	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	+1.650s	21
12	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	+1.664s	14
13	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	+1.781s	23
14	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	+1.823s	18
15	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.867s	18
16	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+2.901s	11
17	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	+2.978s	14
18	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	+3.189s	5
19	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	+5.234s	8
20	63	George Russell	Williams		2

Qualifying

Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time with a 1:22.868, but his ten-place engine penalty promoted Valtteri Bottas to pole position. Max Verstappen joined Bottas on the front row, with Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly behind them.

Fernando Alonso qualified sixth in the session and gained a place on the grid, while Mick Schumacher impressed by reaching Q2 for Haas. Hamilton’s eventual 11th-place start meant Mercedes would rely on Bottas to challenge Verstappen at the front while the championship leader attempted to recover through the field.

Qualifying Classification

2021 Turkish Grand Prix Qualifying, 9 October 2021

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Laps
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:24.585	1:23.082	1:22.868	28
2	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1:25.047	1:23.579	1:22.998	27
3	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:24.592	1:23.732	1:23.196	25
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:24.869	1:24.015	1:23.265	30
5	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	1:24.704	1:23.817	1:23.326	24
6	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	1:25.174	1:23.914	1:23.477	24
7	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	1:24.963	1:23.961	1:23.706	24
8	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:25.138	1:24.642	1:23.954	25
9	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1:25.511	1:24.601	1:24.305	23
10	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	1:25.409	1:24.054	1:24.368	24
11	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	1:25.787	1:24.795	—	19
12	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	1:25.422	1:24.842	—	18
13	63	George Russell	Williams	1:25.417	1:25.007	—	20
14	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	1:25.555	1:25.200	—	19
15	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	1:25.177	No time	—	13
16	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	1:25.881	—	—	10
17	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	1:26.086	—	—	10
18	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	1:26.430	—	—	11
19	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	1:27.525	—	—	11
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	1:28.449	—	—	10

Lewis Hamilton received a ten-place grid penalty for exceeding his quota of internal combustion engines.

Carlos Sainz was required to start the race from the back of the grid for exceeding his quota of power unit elements.

Daniel Ricciardo was required to start the race from the back of the grid for exceeding his quota of power unit elements.

What happened in the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix?

Valtteri Bottas won the Turkish Grand Prix with a controlled performance in persistent damp conditions, adding the fastest-lap bonus to a race in which he rarely looked threatened. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez completed the podium for Red Bull Racing, while Lewis Hamilton finished fifth.

Bottas held the lead at the start as contact further back sent Fernando Alonso into a spin. Pierre Gasly received a penalty for that incident, and Alonso later received one of his own after contact with Mick Schumacher. Hamilton began making progress from 11th, although Yuki Tsunoda made him work hard for an early pass.

The central strategic question was whether the track would dry enough for slicks, or whether drivers should change to another set of intermediates. Sebastian Vettel tried slick tyres but quickly returned to the pits after struggling for grip. The hoped-for dry line never properly appeared.

Hamilton reached the leading group and fought an extended wheel-to-wheel battle with Perez, who retained the position after defending through the final corners and into Turn 1. The exchange was important for Red Bull Racing as it sought to contain Hamilton’s recovery.

Charles Leclerc stayed out longer and briefly led after Bottas and Verstappen stopped. He considered reaching the finish without another tyre change, but Bottas caught and passed him before Ferrari brought him in. Hamilton also delayed his stop, eventually changing tyres late and returning in fifth.

Bottas completed the race ahead of Verstappen, with Perez passing Leclerc for third. Gasly finished sixth despite his penalty, followed by Lando Norris. Sainz recovered from the back to eighth, while Lance Stroll and Esteban Ocon completed the points.

Ocon reached the finish without making a pit stop, although his worn tyres left him losing substantial time near the end. All 20 drivers finished. Bottas had delivered a valuable victory for Mercedes, but Verstappen’s second place was enough to move him back ahead of Hamilton in the Drivers’ Championship.

2021 Turkish Grand Prix race results

The 2021 Turkish Grand Prix was held on 10 October 2021, with a scheduled start of 15:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	58	1:31:04.103	26
2	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	58	+14.584s	18
3	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	58	+33.471s	15
4	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	58	+37.814s	12
5	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	58	+41.812s	10
6	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	58	+44.292s	8
7	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	58	+47.213s	6
8	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	58	+51.526s	4
9	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	58	+82.018s	2
10	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	57	+1 lap	1
11	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	57	+1 lap	0
12	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	57	+1 lap	0
13	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	57	+1 lap	0
14	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	57	+1 lap	0
15	63	George Russell	Williams	57	+1 lap	0
16	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	57	+1 lap	0
17	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	57	+1 lap	0
18	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	57	+1 lap	0
19	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	56	+2 laps	0
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	56	+2 laps	0

Valtteri Bottas earned the additional point for fastest lap.

2021 Turkish Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time of Day	Time	Avg. Speed
1	77	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	58	16:34:25	1:30.432	212.500
2	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	49	16:21:24	1:31.921	209.057
3	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	50	16:22:44	1:32.446	207.870
4	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing	53	16:27:11	1:32.459	207.841
5	7	Kimi Räikkönen	Alfa Romeo Racing	50	16:23:40	1:32.586	207.556
6	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	58	16:35:47	1:32.608	207.506
7	5	Sebastian Vettel	Aston Martin	54	16:30:43	1:32.730	207.233
8	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	57	16:33:29	1:32.737	207.218
9	33	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	53	16:26:52	1:32.759	207.169
10	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	52	16:25:43	1:32.763	207.160
11	10	Pierre Gasly	AlphaTauri	50	16:22:40	1:32.814	207.046
12	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	54	16:30:09	1:32.844	206.979
13	99	Antonio Giovinazzi	Alfa Romeo Racing	57	16:34:37	1:32.904	206.845
14	14	Fernando Alonso	Alpine	55	16:31:47	1:33.252	206.073
15	3	Daniel Ricciardo	McLaren	34	15:58:07	1:33.255	206.067
16	63	George Russell	Williams	53	16:28:38	1:33.399	205.749
17	6	Nicholas Latifi	Williams	48	16:20:52	1:33.672	205.149
18	47	Mick Schumacher	Haas	52	16:28:14	1:34.209	203.980
19	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	24	15:41:50	1:34.584	203.171
20	9	Nikita Mazepin	Haas	52	16:28:32	1:35.438	201.353

Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear in this table. Time of Day is local time; average speeds are in km/h.

2021 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings for drivers and teams after the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix.

2021 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Max Verstappen	NED	Red Bull Racing	262.5
2	Lewis Hamilton	GBR	Mercedes	256.5
3	Valtteri Bottas	FIN	Mercedes	177
4	Lando Norris	GBR	McLaren	145
5	Sergio Perez	MEX	Red Bull Racing	135
6	Carlos Sainz	ESP	Ferrari	116.5
7	Charles Leclerc	MON	Ferrari	116
8	Daniel Ricciardo	AUS	McLaren	95
9	Pierre Gasly	FRA	AlphaTauri	74
10	Fernando Alonso	ESP	Alpine	58
11	Esteban Ocon	FRA	Alpine	46
12	Sebastian Vettel	GER	Aston Martin	35
13	Lance Stroll	CAN	Aston Martin	26
14	Yuki Tsunoda	JPN	AlphaTauri	18
15	George Russell	GBR	Williams	16
16	Nicholas Latifi	CAN	Williams	7
17	Kimi Räikkönen	FIN	Alfa Romeo Racing	6
18	Antonio Giovinazzi	ITA	Alfa Romeo Racing	1
19	Mick Schumacher	GER	Haas	0
20	Robert Kubica	POL	Alfa Romeo Racing	0
21	Nikita Mazepin	RAF	Haas	0

RAF denotes the neutral Russian Automobile Federation designation used by Nikita Mazepin in 2021.

2021 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Mercedes	433.5
2	Red Bull Racing	397.5
3	McLaren	240
4	Ferrari	232.5
5	Alpine	104
6	AlphaTauri	92
7	Aston Martin	61
8	Williams	23
9	Alfa Romeo Racing	7
10	Haas	0